Ottawa Treaty

If there are proofs that NGOs started to gain influence and respectability on the international scene, the Ottawa Treaty is just one of them. Being the fruit of years of meetings, petitions, and manifestations, the Ottawa Treaty is considered as one of the major successes of NGOs.

Called formally “the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction”, the Ottawa Treaty has drawn, as of 2007, 158 countries. It aims to ban the use, production, development, stockpiling, and transferring of anti-personnel mines. It compels as well signatory states to destroy all their stockpiled anti-personnel mines, and prohibits them from encouraging and assisting in the development of anti-personnel mines.

The Ottawa Treaty shows that the importance of the actions of NGOs is being gradually respected by governments and by the public opinion. The involvement of NGOs in the struggle to ban anti-personnel mines was also a catalyst for other NGOs to continue the fight for the destitute, the disabled, and for Aids victims.

Contact us or join us in the International Conference on the Role of NGOs in Global Governance for further comprehensive details on the Ottawa Treaty and on the work of NGOs to gain respectability on the international scene.